Tape tab-forming devices are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,300,423 to H. Holben shows a tape roll holder having an arm actuated rocking member upon which tape normally rests. By pushing the arm downwardly, the rocking member moves back toward a tear-off station where a tape tab is formed by a loop of tape which comes together. A stop screw below the arm is adjusted to vary the space and the resulting tab length.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,526,494 to G. McNeil a spring arm within a tape roll holder moves back and forth for the purpose of forming tape tabs.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,204,949 H. Kieslich discloses a cam actuated set of rollers which form tape tabs in a tape dispenser.
In German specification No. 2,232,663, Malcolm describes a spring loaded cutter which is pulled away from the tape bearing surface and then released to form tabs with the tape.
These and other patents illustrate the utility of tape tabs associated with tape roll holders. Many of the prior art devices obtain the bias action of the tab-forming member by metal springs or mechanical arrangement which preclude the use of molded tape tab-forming devices. Most prior art devices usually provide only one preset tab length.
An object of the present invention was to devise a tape tab-forming device, which is characterized by a simplified low-cost construction, executed by molding and which permits preset variation in the tape tab length of definite incremental amounts.
Another object of the present invention was to devise a variable length tab-forming device which could be easily attached to existing tape dispensers in current use or molded with the tape dispenser.